Have you ever wondered how Valdosta fares when it comes to safety? How safe is Valdosta?

According to a recent study by Safe Wise, Valdosta did not make the top 50 safest cities in Georgia, coming in at 71 out of 133 cities ranked.

Senoia, Georgia, is located about an hour southwest of Atlanta, and scored first on the Safe Wise rankings. It has a total population of 4,283 people and a total crime rate of 0.00 per 1,000 people.

It is common to see larger cities with higher crime ratings. However, according to Safe Wise, “cities [in Georgia] are bigger than those named in most other states—and 60 percent had fewer than 25 total violent crimes.”

So, Georgia is a reasonably safe state. Valdosta, however, does not do much to support that fact.

According to Neighborhood Scout’s website, 98 percent of the cities in America are safer than Valdosta.

At 56,729, our large population adds to high crime rates.

But when they do, that’s when the police come in.

According to WTXL Tallahassee, the Valdosta police department intends to “add four new positions at the police department in each of the next four years,” in an attempt to minimize the crime rate.

Adding more positions to the local law enforcement should give the police department more coverage in certain areas of the city where crime is common.

This information should bring a new light to those who live in Valdosta and their safety. While law enforcement is continuously bettering police officers and others in charge of keeping citizens safe, everyone should be cautious of their surroundings.

Be sure to always recognize potentially dangerous places and people around the community, and be cautious of situations that don’t seem right.

Written by Logan Gullage, Staff Writer. Photo courtesy of The Spectator.